TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- Alabama's first-team offensive line hasn't featured a different look during any of the media viewing sessions throughout the month.

A welcome sign of stability? Not quite.

This year's starting offensive line may be set for Saturday's season opener against West Virginia -- and even that's not a given -- but there are two big reasons why it could be considered a work in progress throughout the first month of the season.

After working with the first team at right guard through all of the spring, senior Leon Brown missed the start of camp with a foot injury and didn't participate in either of the scrimmages. Junior-college transfer Dominick Jackson had his camp sliced in half when he went down with an ankle injury at the Crimson Tide's first scrimmage.

Both are healthy enough to practice now, but their respective absences eliminated some potential competition, especially when it applies to right guard. That spot has been occupied by third-year sophomore Alphonse Taylor, who converted to offensive line shortly after enrolling at Alabama in 2012 and gained experience as a backup last season.

When Alabama coach Nick Saban talked about Brown and Jackson after Thursday's practice, he used the past tense to describe their hopes of starting -- "would have been a starter" ... "we thought could certainly challenge for a starting position" -- but emphasized their importance heading into the season.

"How those guys develop," Saban said, "will determine to a degree the kind of depth we have on the offensive line."

Brown has primarily worked behind Taylor since he returned to practice. Jackson, who played tackle at his Wing-T running junior college, has been seen at both guard positions and left tackle, the latter of which he was spotted Saturday working behind freshman Cam Robinson.

Brown, also a junior-college transfer, worked mostly at right tackle last season behind starter Austin Shepherd before he made his first career start at right guard in the Sugar Bowl.

"He was always competing and he still is right now," said center Ryan Kelly, one of three returning starters on the offensive line. "It's good to have another guy out there who's got some experience and who's an older guy. Obviously, he hasn't been in the system that long, but he's a big part of what we do as an offense and I think he can really help us."

Said left guard Arie Kouandjio: "He's been a hard-working guy. He's going to keep on pushing it until he accomplish his goals."

One year after it had the same offensive line start all 14 games, Alabama dealt with a handful of injuries and was forced to work with a handful of different rotations throughout 2013. Two of the four players who helped provide depth during those times of need -- Chad Lindsay and Kellen Williams -- aren't around to help this year.

At minimum, Alabama hopes Jackson and Brown can do the same in 2014.

"We have a lot of guys who want to play and learn and they want to do well," Kouandjio said. "With that, we just have to find out where everybody fits in."